Email Me Daynotes Gang

So Long 2000, Hello 2001 Today is the traditional day for reflecting on the year we've passed, and to anticipate and plan for the year to come.

It's been an interesting year, hasn't it? Nationally, the United States has seen the Never-Ending Election, the pitfalls and problems of our electoral process, stronger political dissatisfaction than at any time since the 60's - some might say the strongest since the Civil War - and the beginning of the end of the latest upswing in the economic cycle. Worldwide, the usual wars, violence, disasters, and triumphs. The world is a year older, a little worse for the wear, but not as bad as it has been at times in the past. Our upstart race of monkey derivatives is still here, yawning, feeding, reproducing, occasionally fighting, and still dreaming.

In computers, we've seen the beginning of the end of the Open Source Business Model; Microsoft hacked; the Web is bigger and more fractious than ever. Napster, RIAA, MPAA, DVDs on Linux, Linux's continuing failed attempts to go mainstream, more futile protestations by the "purist" geeks against the further commercialization of their playground, the Web, and the emergence of more ghettos and hidden realms for those geeks - Freenet, for one.

But hey, you don't need me to tell you that. CNN, Slashdot, USAToday, Time Magazine... I'm sure they're all dying to tell you the most important stories of the year, decade (since it's the end of the nineties and all), century (welcome to the twenty-first) and, yes (say it softly) millennium. (Funny thing - all the most important stories of the millennium are from the last hundred years, mostly from the last fifty. It seems nothing happened before that.) Nope, this is just my personal look at the last year. (Sure I could be reassembling the computer room now that my parents and brothers have left, or getting the network redesign underway... but hey, it's New Year's Eve... <G>)

Personally, it's been an interesting year - from iTOOL.com to Siebel Systems, and now working on moving from Siebel and Phoenix to a new challenge in Seattle. (By the way, I haven't signed anything yet. If you want a good systems administrator for your company, drop me a line.) I've learned a lot, not only new things in the world of computers but in learning what I know, what I don't, and how to increase the first list - and how the second will only grow. <G> When I was a kid, that thought really annoyed me, that it might be impossible to learn everything; now I just look at it as meaning I'll never have to be bored.

Practically, my skillset is dramatically larger than it was a year ago, and a lot of that is due to my fellow members of the Daynotes Gang. Another year of mistakes and triumphs, trials and celebrations. I could be disappointed with how the year has ended; the job search has taken longer than I'd originally hoped, and specifically, the past week of interviews has been a bit disheartening. One went poorly, thanks to the afteraffects of last week's kidney stone - or rather, the medical treatment that resulted. The other seemed to go well, but hasn't really resulted in the desired effect yet. On the other hand... well, why be disappointed? Neither job prospect is yet completely closed, and of course, there are many more than just two companies in Seattle, anyway.

I suppose I should go do a bit of work, then settle down to relax with Keri for the evening. I know, short column - but you need time for reflexion, too. Have a good evening, and a wonderful New Year.